Film: Spotlight

22 February 2016

Director: Tom McCarthy

IMDb: 8.2

Rotten Tomatoes: 96%

Parkville Station rating: 9

Spotlight is my favourite film of the year. Hands down. It takes a complicated, controversial, and sensitive topic, and it lays it out for the audience in a fast-paced journalistic thriller. The acting is impeccable, the characters fascinating, and the story riveting. This film is as much a celebration of investigative journalism as it is an indictment of the abuse in the Catholic Church, and if you leave the theatre not wanting to be a reporter you’ve a stronger will than I.

Casting real abuse victims in the film lends it a very striking touch, but the resolution is a positive one, and therefore so is the film. I want to say if you liked The Newsroom you’ll like it, but really, if you like films you’ll like it.

My pick is it’ll take the Best Picture Oscar from The Revenant, and it’ll be a sweet 28th Feb for me if it does.